After pulling on her underclothes, she paused long enough to give Gwynith another hard shake. “Get up. Now.”

Gwynith raised her head off the pillow. “Still dark,” she complained.

“Fine. Then I’ll ride out without you. You can catch up when you can.”

That roused Gwynith enough to prop herself on one elbow. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a dream.” Out loud, it sounded foolish, but being thought foolish wasn’t going to stop her from packing, rousing the inn’s landlord to provide whatever food could be hastily assembled, and riding out now.

“What kind of dream?”

Selena paused, then finished pulling her tunic over her head. “A bloody one.”

Gwynith shot out of bed. “I’ll tell the men we’re leaving.” She was out the door and pounding on the door across the hall before Selena had time to reply.

A murmured conversation. The other door closing with more haste than courtesy, loud enough to wake the rest of the inn’s guests.

As Gwynith rushed back into their room to start her own frenzy of dressing and packing, Selena continued stuffing her belongings into the saddlebags.

Another day of hard riding to reach the village where Skelly, the storyteller, lived. How long to reach Willowsbrook after that? Skelly would know. Wasn’t he kin to the Willowsbrook witches? Surely he’d know the fastest way from his village to that Old Place.

So. Two days at the least. She couldn’t do it in less time. Fae horses had endurance far beyond ordinary horses, but even Mist-runner was wearing down after so many days of hard riding. Reaching Skelly’s village was as much as she could do today.

She closed her eyes and thought of the willow tree in her dream, stained with blood.

Two days.

Would she get to Willowsbrook in time—or get there too late?

Chapter 25

waxing moon

Aiden hurried toward the Clan house, anxious to locate the Clan’s bard or minstrel and find out if there was any news or messages. Once the Fae here realized the Hunter had arrived in their piece of Tir Alainn, it would take hours to get a coherent sentence out of anyone who could provide information. The Clan house would be in an uproar while people scrambled to figure out how to feed and provide beds for Ashk, her companions, and the hundred men who now rode with her.